Sunday, January 10, 2016

Netflix in India: A Brand New Technology

Netflix is finally launched in India. Co- founder and Chief Executive Reed Hastings said, “It is one of the cross-platform video streaming service through which users can watch content on screens from smartphones to a smart television”. The video streaming service works with various devices such as Smart TV platforms and Microsoft Xbox. Moreover, Netflix is also offering a one-month free trial package where people can select between any of the three monthly packages such as Basic, Standard and Premium.

Pricing Options:

For India, Netflix has the same pricing compared to its US market. If you sign up using your PC, you get three options- Rs.500 (Basic) and with basic plan you can watch movies and shows once on a single screen. Basic plan allows streaming in SD (Standard Definition). For Rs.650 per month (Standard) you can access two simultaneous screens. Rs.800 (Premium) plan allows streaming in UHD (Ultra-high Definition). First month is free for all users. Further, for payment, you can pay using a credit card and PayPal. $1(Rs.70) is charged during signup to authenticate your card as an initial fee. Netflix standard subscribers now pay $8.88 per month, not much more than the Rs 600 base price in India.

Content:

At the time of signup process, you have to specify if you are an adult above 18 years. This means there will be no censored content as everything will be rated. During profile creation, Netflix allows you to identify children and helps in parental control. Talking about local Indian content, there arelatest Bollywood movies included such as Lootera, Piku, Youngistaan, Heropanti and even some classic movies such as Hum Apke Hai Kaun, Shor in the city and AndaazApnaApna. This streaming giant seems to have well-balanced international and local content. Netflix has gained popularity in the Indian market within two days of its launch and it seems the company may crack some deals in terms of content in the near future.

While opting for this video streaming application remember you can’t download any videosas streaming an HD movie can take as much as 3GB data. Ensure yourbroadband plansoffer big data cap for its fair usage policy. For smooth streaming 5MBPs connection is suggested by Netflix or else it can be an expensive plan for you.

In India, broadband speed can be one of the major issue. Cities such as Delhi, Mumbai, and Bangalore do have good internet speeds, but most parts of India still have speed issues with broadband. This can be a challenge for Netflix to have a firm grasp in the Indian market.